diff --git a/birdie/src/routes/+page.svelte b/birdie/src/routes/+page.svelte
index cfc76ef..5b3fe5b 100644
--- a/birdie/src/routes/+page.svelte
+++ b/birdie/src/routes/+page.svelte
@@ -429,7 +429,10 @@
 	const goBack = async (index: number) => {
 		ancestry = ancestry.slice(0, index + 1);
 		$currentRoot = ancestry.join('/');
-		$selectedFile = null;
+
+		const parentFiles = await getFiles(ancestry.slice(0, index).join('/'));
+		$selectedFile = parentFiles.find((f) => f.name === ancestry[index]) ?? null;
+
 		commits = [];
 		selectedFiles = [];
 		await refreshFiles();
@@ -566,12 +569,12 @@
 		});
 	};
 
-	const addCurrentRootToFileTree = async (node: Node, subFolders: string[]): Promise<Node> => {
+	const addSelectedFilePathToFileTree = async (node: Node, subFolders: string[]): Promise<Node> => {
 		if (node.value.fileType === FileType.File) return node;
 		const updatedChildFiles = await getFiles(node.value.path);
 		let updatedChildNodes: Node[] = [];
 		if (subFolders.length === 0) {
-			// we're at the deepest level of the current root
+			// we're at the deepest subfolder level
 			// update our children and "forget" anything deeper than this
 			updatedChildFiles.forEach((child) => {
 				updatedChildNodes.push({
@@ -601,7 +604,7 @@
 			updatedChildNodes = await Promise.all(
 				updatedChildNodes.map((child) => {
 					if (child.value.name === subFolders[0]) {
-						return addCurrentRootToFileTree(child, subFolders.slice(1));
+						return addSelectedFilePathToFileTree(child, subFolders.slice(1));
 					}
 					return child;
 				})
@@ -619,7 +622,7 @@
 			rootNode.set(parsedFileTree);
 		}
 		if ($selectedFile) {
-			$rootNode = await addCurrentRootToFileTree(get(rootNode), $selectedFile.path.split('/'));
+			$rootNode = await addSelectedFilePathToFileTree(get(rootNode), $selectedFile.path.split('/'));
 		}
 	};